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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28506255">Birthday Wishes &amp; Strawberry Kisses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natsuru/pseuds/Natsuru'>Natsuru</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I know I'm late, M/M, happy b'day shuu!!, hope this was in character, no beta we die like kim dokja, these boiis r softtt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:35:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28506255</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natsuru/pseuds/Natsuru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was Gakushuu's birthday. It was supposed to be a great day. </p><p>Now if only someone would come spend it with him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akabane Karma/Asano Gakushuu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>110</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Birthday Wishes &amp; Strawberry Kisses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The coffee cup made a crisp clear sound as Gakushuu coupled it back onto the corresponding saucer, intelligent amethyst eyes, unusually bright for this time of day, some would consider night (it was still dark out), scanning across the newspapers that he’d laid out before him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mind drifted away from the latest political scandal laid out in front of him, turning to the hands on the clock he glanced at periodically. As much as  he loved to take his time in the mornings, he still had to check to make sure time didn’t pass before he realised. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wouldn’t want to be late. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But with an ivory plate, littered in brown crusty crumbs, and silvery well-bodied cutleries leaning neatly, innocently into the side of the plate, he had a full stomach and still half an hour before he had to take off for work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Already fully decked out in suit and tie, with all his important documents stored online, he had thirty minutes to spend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ticking became gradually louder as he put down the newspaper, leaving it on the glass dining table for longer, eyes running across his own empty apartment. Thirty minutes with nothing to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With his large array of accomplishments he’d moved out of his father’s home straight after graduating university, having earned enough with the part time jobs he’d taken up over his final years of education to pay for a house. The result of his efforts to be independent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although Gakushuu mostly enjoyed the time in the mornings he’d have to himself, he did find the house to be a little more lonely without the second pair of footsteps, or the second presence that used to exist in it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The quiet was maybe accentuated by the fact it was his birthday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The seconds seemed to tick by even louder in his ears, and he no longer found the inspiration to continue reading the news as he usually did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first new years he spent away from home was a little lonely. Gakushuu was enough of a man to admit that even though he loathed his father’s presence most of the time, this was a moment where it could be appreciated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could go to the temple but it was a little depressing to go alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Teeth clacking unsatisfactorily once, he gulped down the rest of his coffee, ignoring the way it burned down his throat, ignoring the way he burned through the aroma of these expensive coffee beans by chugging it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He checked his phone, but nothing had come in yet. None of the hard workers in his office had appeared early to email some surprise early-morning problem they needed help with, and no weird banner-notifications from any of the apps he’d downloaded. There weren’t any texts either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wanting to sulk but at the same time knowing there was no use sulking, Gakushuu put the small part of him that wished he’d actually made some friends at the back of his mind and got up off the table, decidedly placing the phone face down and turning away, empty plate and cup in hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He washed up and checked his shirt for any wrinkles, looking over himself two, three times to make sure that he had his keys and everything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes wandered to the clock once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were still fifteen minutes left. Maybe he could just leave for work early, not that anyone was even there at the time to question why he’d arrived earlier than usual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was his birthday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could get more work done if he went earlier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was his </span>
  <em>
    <span>birthday. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could probably also quickly change the toner cartridge in the printer before everyone else arrived. Late yesterday, the images were getting streaky. Probably need more ink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It was his birthday. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even if he stayed it wasn’t like anyone would show up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, Gakushuu got up and left for his office a little earlier than he usually did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(15 minutes were a lot to him though. A genius like him could probably get a regular person’s multiple days of work done in that time.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The office was just as quiet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The morning tranquility gnawed at his sanity like a particularly persistent rate chewing on a block of cheese. He unlocked the door to the office, turning on the lights. There wasn’t anyone else there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swiftly made his way to his usual seat in his office, just as he did every other day, pulling out his laptop efficiently, with a rustle of fabric filling the tense air, throwing the bag back down on the floor next to his seat. He got ready to start work in near record time, but just as he opened up his laptop, his mind went blank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He maybe stared straight at it for a minute, before his exhaustion embodied itself within the depths of a resigned sigh and slipped past him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was born today, but it just wasn’t his day. People usually didn’t think this much did they? Christ, it felt like he was about to have a mid-life crisis but he was still only twenty one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It sucked that he was suddenly feeling so contemplative and goddamn emotional over nothing. Over what, no one being there on his birthday? Well, what was he expecting, no one was ever there for him. If anything, he was the stupid one for having such high expectation for the people he’d never let into his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes burned, but he chalked it up to dryness from exhaustion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slipped out his phone once more but before he could check anything, there was a hollow, metallic thump that made itself proudly known from the ceiling directly behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu nearly jumped right out of his skin, no one else was at work this early. His phone slipped gracefully out of his already depressingly loose grip and nearly fell to his work-desk, had it not been for his quick reactions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ what the-” Gakushuu couldn’t help but whisper under his breath as he immediately got up off his seat, waiting for either santa to fall out the vent, or for something to explode out of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stared at it and unconsciously moved his feet into a familiar kata that had previously been vigorously beaten into him. What could it possibly be??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then there was another thump, and he could hear a hiss being released from whatever weird contraption was causing a ruckus in his company’s ventilation system. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this point, a regular person would have yeeted themselves the fuck out of that lonely, creepy office with hissing vents, but Gakushuu was no regular person, and the way the sound echoed through those thumps where suspicious enough on their own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu palmed a metal pen he kept on his desk and with the other hand, placed the chair right next to the vent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stepped up onto the chair and opened the vent, expecting maybe an explosion of some sort, he was feeling lonely enough right now to not really care.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But instead, there was just a large force pulling his hand down, and he hastily dropped the vent cover like a hot potato and retracted his hand like he’d been burnt to avoid injury from over-taxing his wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a loud thump, then a few seconds after, the blob on the floor shifted slowly, like a dying cockroach of some sort, and made a pathetic pained sound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu immediately hopped down from the chair and surveyed the intruder. “ I hope you don’t regret trespassing now that you’ve been caught.” His typical snark had snapped back into existence at the presence of another person. “ It’d be a shame if you were to-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> The splash of red on the dramatic, un-hooded cape kind of gave the entire identity away, but it also came with an element of shock??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In all his years of living he only knew one red-head of about the same build as him, with enough crazy to pull off something like breaking into a well-secured office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ -Akabane?” Gakushuu breathed in disbelief, squinting as if it would help him see the squirming figure on the floor better. Maybe it’d tell him he was mistaken but no, his eyes only confirmed that akabane karma had indeed infiltrated his office on not only his birthday but also new year’s day early in the morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ fuck-that hurts-” He continued to writhe on the floor lowly, not responding to Gakushuu’s prompts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Why were you in my ceiling at the ass-crack of dawn?” Gakushuu wasn’t really mad. This was the most interesting thing to happen to him in a while. He was just really confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ shit-vents were a bad idea-i am in paiinnnnnn-” He continued to whine and writhe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu knelt down to the floor, elegantly, like the prince he was and casually yanked Akabane back to face him by the back of his hood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could finally see Akabane’s previously obscured by the floor face, but now it came with the other sputtering in his face, hands flying up to his throat like he was being choked or something. Realising that he was probably choking the poor trespasser with the cloak he immediately dropped it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akabane coughed a few times, clearing his throat. “ Akabane?” Gakushuu tried once more. Mercury eyes met his, cringing as Akabane coughed behind a fist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ what.” he coughed out. And ‘what’ really should have been Gakushuu’s question. What was Karma doing to end up in his vents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Why are you trespassing my office vents at six am in the morning looking like a grim reaper dressed you.” His eyes drew over the absolute mess that was Akabane Karma once, before commenting softly. “ -horribly too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Why are you in your office at six am in the first place.” Karma infuriatingly threw back at the other and Gakushuu really didn’t know how to respond other than the fact that he was here to work, but the words died in his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ And what was up with the super depressing sigh just now, did you get cancer or something??” Karma took his silence as a go ahead to add on further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Yes.” Gakushuu with as straight an expression he could possibly pull. But seriously, why was Akabane even here, how did he know where he worked??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Oh shit, really??” Karma leaned in curiously, eyes narrowed conspiratorially like a mean girl that cough a whiff of gossip, but Gakushuu could see the hint of concern that lit up behind the mercury. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ No.” He responded simply and got up, surveying the damage done to his vent. Might as well fix it quickly so he could get on with his day. Akabane was here to make his already bad day even worse though. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ You shouldn’t play with my heart like that.” Akabane flopped back onto the floor with a sigh and closed his eyes and Gakushuu picked up the vent lid and busied himself with fixing it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akabane wordlessly held out a screwdriver and Gakushuu just as silently took it. He stepped back onto the chair with the screwdriver and the vent-lid, surveying the damage done to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Get off the floor it’s filthy.” Gakushuu continued after a beat, mindlessly working at covering up the damage Akabane had done to his office vent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ I belong here, let me be.” was Akabane’s eloquently put response. Gakushuu just fixed him with a look, gaze wandering slightly as his hands kept working. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ You mean because you’re trash?” Gakushuu pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ No, because you made me fall three metres onto my back.” Karma pointed right back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ You have eight lives left.” Gakushuu commented dryly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Sweet! I’m a cat.” Akabane did a weird fist pump below him, still on the floor refusing to get up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Why are you celebrating, your curiosity kills you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Shit, you’re right.” And with that Akabane shut himself up, and Gakushuu didn’t have a way to respond to things that were never said, so he too shut himself up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room was silent save for the creaking of the metal vent and the Karma’s slightly heavier breathing through his supposed back pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ I regret using the vents.” With Akabane’s jump back into conversation, Gakushuu was ready to counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ As opposed to regretting trespassing??” thats like akabane saying he didn’t regret commiting a crime, he only regretted having been caught, which, to be fair was quite in character for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ I unintentionally got hurt, probably was a poor decision to use the vents anyways, but i intentionally trespassed so, no. i dont regret it.” akabane explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ you confessing your intention to trespass to me just means that in a court case i’d be able to testify against you in confirming that you did indeed possess the </span>
  <em>
    <span>mens reas</span>
  </em>
  <span> in performing the act.” Gakushuu pointed out, throwing the screwdriver back to akabane once more just as the other had lifted his face to reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>while akabane fumbled with catching the screwdriver from the strange position he was still in on the floor, gakushuu got off of his chair and placed it back right by his table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ are you then?” akabane got up too, and without wincing. it seems like the pain had subsided enough for him to move freely around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ hm?” Asking for a clarification, gakushuu’s hand stilled on the backrest of his seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ are you going to testify against me?” he asked, mercury eyes opened curiously wide in a near child-like manner, but at the same time it made gakushuu feel like he was being tested by the redhead, gauged by his reaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ i would.” gakushuu didnt hesitate in his response, meeting akabane’s questioning gaze with his own cold one, that then softened a fraction at the idea that akabane was the only one who came to see him on his birthday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>gakushuu paused a bit longer, looking thoughtful. “an argument could be made for not reporting you though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>it was at those words that akabane’s scarily neutral, curious expression broke out in a horrifying grin, it made gakushuu feel like he’d made a deal with the devil. perhaps in a way he had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ i guess i should kick off my argument before the rest of your staff come filtering in then.” snatching a glance from the expensive watch on his wrist, gakushuu wondered why he ever doubted akabane’s ability to find a job that would not only allow him financial stability, but enough finance to actively show off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Why are you even here.” Gakushuu asked, more curious than exasperated. They went to the same college and had many of the same classes so they saw each other everyday. But it’s been a few months since graduation and he hadn’t heard a peep from Karma since. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pranks he used to play so frequently would probably be welcomed with open arms now, Gakushuu could admit to himself that he missed it. A little. God, he felt like a lonely old man of some sort. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ It’s your birthday.” Leaning against his desk with his arms crossed, Gakushuu tried his best not to let it show that the words hit him right in the heart and nearly made him fall over in shock. Nice to know someone remembered. Even if it was from one of the people he least expected it from. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Actually, maybe that made it even better.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But still, of all people, for Akabane to know his birthday? Something’s missing though. Gakushuu ignored his sudden awareness of the distance between him and Akabane in favour of pressing further.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ That doesn’t explain why you trespassed into my office building.” Gakushuu mentioned suspiciously, an eyebrow raised, expecting something that made sense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akabane just stared back again, looking straight into Gakushuu’s eyes. It felt somehow like a provocation of some sort that was making Gakushuu uncomfortable under the gaze, he allowed himself the liberty of looking away, the softly glowing heat that piled on his cheeks didn’t burn bright enough to tip him off, so he just waited out the uncomfortable silence, waiting for Akabane to say something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akabane didn’t say anything, he just pulled something out and tossed it towards Gakushuu, Gakushuu turned back quick enough, noticing the approaching box and managed to catch it with his quick reflexes. It was a cute paper box, dyed an earthen shade, crisp in appearance where it seemed like it hadn’t been something sitting in the back of a garage waiting for an opportunity to be used, but more like something bought straight out of a store. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The strings that tied off into a pretty little bow decorating the small box coiled around a few shades lighter than the box itself, the twine adding a nice touch to the aesthetics of the gift. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a noticeable rattle as Gakushuu caught the box in his hands. He brought it up to his ear, frowning, and shook it once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Did you get me chocolate or something?”  Gakushuu turned the frown towards Akabane as he hypothesized what the gift could be. The excitement bubbled up, small fragile and childish in his chest. It’d been so long since anyone had gotten him a gift like this. It’d been a while since anyone had even come by to talk to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The twinge of regret in his chest only lasted a fraction of a second as Akabane seemed to freak out a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu’s frown deepened. “ Why do you look worried.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ I don’t-” The other replied a little too quickly and Gakushuu pursed his lip, raising his eyebrows in question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Yeah there’s chocolate.” He trailed off, looking away. The sheepish look Akabane had on right now did not at all suit his personality. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ You better not have added a glitter bomb or something.” Gakushuu complained as he unceremoniously pulled at one of the loose ends of the ribbon to get to the gift. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ waIT WAIT WAIT!!” Just as Gakushuu was about to open the gift, Akabane suddenly came forward pressing both his hands against Gakushuu’s, gripping the hand holding the gift quite tightly. And one thing Gakushuu noticed was that either Akabane was really warm or he was really cold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Did you place something obscene in the gift? You’re awfully red.” Gakushuu eyed Akabane with openly playful suspicion, mood much better than it was before. What was it going to be, a butt plug covered in mustard? He wouldn’t put it past Karma. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ No, it’s not! Just-” Akabane looked like there was something he really wanted to say but was struggling to get out. “ Just open it when I’m gone.” With that, Akabane stepped back, releasing Gakushuu’s hands, staring pitifully at his rival. (but now that there wasn’t anything for them to compete over, were they still rivals?)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waited for Akabane to fully step back, then with a snap of his wrist, he pulled open the string in one go and made a quick step towards the door of his office, that really wasn’t that far away. He stood in front of it, leaning on the closed door defiantly, blocking Akabane’s only way out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ You should know by now, I don’t listen.” He teased, eagerly pulling the cover off the box, deft digits gently prying off the persistent lid with as much care as he could muster in a rush. (he’d only known the box for a few minutes but he already knew it’d probably stay with him much longer.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu’s heart clenched in fondness as he pried open the lid, strategically holding both the lid and the box itself in one hand as it opened to reveal a 4x4 box of chocolate covered strawberries. Nice to know at least someone cared. It looked effortfully hand-made. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Thank you.” He almost whispered, voice filled with quiet sincerity, before quickly placing one of the strawberries in his mouth. It was sweet. There was probably a science to measuring the sugar levels in fruit and Gakushuu hypothesizes that Akabane used it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sniffled softly in the cold morning air of his still office. Akabane seemed to be broken out of his frozen disposition by the words he uttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Gakushuu’s eyes caught on something peculiar in the design of the box. The rim of the inside edge of the box, highlighting the chocolates, was a strange pattern, it looks drawn on with a sharpie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Morse code?” He mumbled curiously. Akabane's eyes widened somewhere in the background but Gakushuu was too focused on figuring out what it said to realise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>U.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>N.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>D.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>E.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>R.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Under’? Looking even closer at the box, there was a near imperceptible seam that his eyes caught on with the small clue. He pulled and the top part of the box came off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Oh!” He exclaimed as he nearly dropped the inner box of chocolates, but managed to catch it. Gakushuu stuffed another into his mouth and chewed on it like a chipmunk, giving an appreciative hum. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ You could have waited for me to leave you know.” Akabane sulked sadly at the side, and Gakushuu couldn’t understand. Shouldn’t Akabane derive some sort of satisfaction from the unveiling of a gift he clearly put in a lot of time and effort to prepare?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ I’m letting you see my appreciation first hand.” Gakushuu mumbled around a mouthful of strawberry, throwing a chocolate piece to Akabane. It whacked him on the forehead before Akabane quickly caught it. “ Have one, it's good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, Gakushuu continued to busy himself with the gift once more, seeing that there was actually a small folded note lightly adhered to the very bottom of the box. He plucked the note from the box, and he was sure this was a last layer because on it, wrote in Akabane’s aesthetically messy handwriting: ‘ BOTTOM’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He popped another chocolate in his mouth (god he couldn’t stop himself, probably should go for a run later), and unfolded the message, blind to Akabane’s currently state of depression in his office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His first reaction to the words were nothing. Absolutely nothing. Gakushuu had been rendered both mute and useless from shock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second was looking up to Karma in confirmation of, ‘is this really true??’ written all over his face. The way Karma avoided his gaze was telling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Third, his own face lit up red, like Karma’s had been this whole time. He finally knew why Karma had been freaking out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma interrupted Shuu’s mental breakdown, shifting his weight from left to right in a jittery manner. “ Can I leave?” And Karma, honestly looked like he’d wanted to. Eyes downcast, staring at the fancy plush carpet instead of the face he adored so much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu swallowed the last bits of chocolate remaining, bit his lip in contemplation, looking straight at Karma, wondering what he should do next. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ No.” His voice came out a little scratchy through the bile that somehow formed in his throat through the silence. And maybe the over-consumption of chocolate. He cleared his throat. “ No-you can’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gakushuu stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Not completely, he was still a few inches away, but close enough to feel the warmth of Karma’s body cut through the cold blocks of stale air in his office. Karma probably broke his vent, but that was not at all on his mind at that moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Karma.” The name fell out of Gakushuu’s mouth, honeyed like an alluring trap, but sparkly, starry and shiny like a crystal, clear were his intentions. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma looked up in shock, he felt like he should say something, but he didn’t know what, the words that he never formed caught in his throat like a bad cold. Those amethyst-grey eyes showed a will strong as steel and the same celestial sheen of an entire fucking galaxy. Looking into them made Karma feel like all he knew was poetry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swallowed, eyes maybe lingering a touch too long on the pleasant way Gakushuu’s lips curved into a soft smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A hand covered his, and Karma let himself hope, just hope for a moment that this was going where he thought it was, heart beating so fast, he could hear the rushing in his ears, he hoped his hand hadn’t been trembling hard enough for Gakushuu to notice but he knew that likely wasn’t the case. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Gakushuu’s face approached his slowly, enticingly, teasingly getting closer, and he closed his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a warm fleeting touch to his left cheek, soft as a petal, transient as a single melting snowflake on heated skin. It barely lasted a second, nowhere near firm enough to be anything but a distant dream, but it lingered as the comforting phantom sensation of a memory he would never forget. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma was sated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Gakushuu leaned back with a gentle smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Thank you.” He’d said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as quickly, he’d whipped out a pen and drew a mark on the small note that had been in the box and threw it back at Karma. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma unfolded it to find the wish he’d made 6 days ago on his birthday candles came true. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>been wanting to ask for a while, might as well come in through your vent and do it on your birthday;</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>go out with me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes__      No__  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(P.S. stop calling me akabane ;))</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i intended to post this earlier but i started it right after my new year's family dinner ended and didn't really have the time until now :&lt;&lt;&lt;</p></blockquote></div></div>
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